Avery
by Sultry Sweet
Summary: Lydia has her baby and Jane takes on the role of motherhood. Eventually Rizzles, rated M for later chapters. Mostly fluff, smut comes later ;
1. Chapter 1

_**Something to Talk About, chapter 3 will be up soon. I promise. Until then, please enjoy my newest fic :D  
**_

* * *

Jane's vision of the room showed blue highlights of the deepest despair created by the longest night of her life. Scatter-brain blond Lydia grunted and yelled as she clutched the sides of her hospital bed and did as the doctor told her.

"Push," the doctor urged as he looked from the crowning baby to her. "You're almost there."

Jane clenched her jaw and winced as she fidgeted bedside Lydia. She looked at the doctor for a long moment then returned her attention to her father's ex-fiancee. Though she wasn't the one in labor and the were a few people in the room, Jane felt completely alone. She never thought she would have to go this far to be there for family, but that's what happens when both your father and your brother sleep with the same woman around the same time. No knew who's baby it was, but Jane was the only Rizzoli that truly stuck around to find out.

"Come on, Lydia. Just one more big push," the doctor said.

Lydia panted and shook her head. Sweat covered her face as most of her hair was matted down.

"I can't," she breathlessly started. "It's like...the ultimate work out...and I don't have the energy."

The doctor looked at Jane.

"Talk to her," he said.

"What," Jane panicked no louder than a whisper.

She looked down at Lydia with wide, fearful eyes.

"Okay," she softly started. "You...you can do this, Lydia."

"I can't," Lydia cried.

"This baby needs to come out right now," the doctor pressured the two women.

"I can't," Lydia quietly insisted as she tried to control her breathing.

Jane took another look at her and jumped into action.

"You can do this, Lydia. You have to. This is the hardest part and it's almost over. One last push. That's all you need to do."

She shook her head.

"Come on," Jane calmly encouraged her as she instinctively took Lydia's hand. "I'll do it with, okay?"

Lydia stared at Jane as she started to believe the tall and slender brunette.

"You're not alone," Jane finally said after a silent moment of understanding.

"Okay," Lydia quickly said.

"Okay," Jane repeated with a new found confidence. "Ready?"

Lydia nodded.

"All right," the doctor started. "Push."

Lydia took a deep breath and squeezed Jane's hand. She struggled as she gritted her teeth and pushed while her hold on Jane's hand became increasingly stronger.

"Almost," Jane continued to encourage Lydia as she looked to the doctor for a sign the baby was out. "Almost."

Lydia yelled just as the doctor started to smile as he took hold of the baby.. After a second or two, the baby cried.

Lydia stopped pushing and panted as she rested her head and released Jane's hand.

Jane smiled as she watched the doctor cut the umbilical chord.

"Congratulations," he continued to smile. "It's a girl."

"A baby girl," Jane beamed as she stared at the crying baby.

"We're gonna get her cleaned up and then you can hold her," the doctor informed Jane.

Lydia lay with her eyes closed as she took deep breaths to regulate her breathing.

"You did a good job," Jane said to Lydia.

"I did," she asked with uncertainty.

"Yeah, you did," Jane nodded.

After several minutes, the doctor returned with the baby.

"We're going to need a name," the doctor said as he handed the baby to Lydia.

"Oh, well, I haven't really thought of anything yet," she confessed.

"Take your time. I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you and then we'll place your baby girl in the infirmary."

"Okay," Lydia said before the doctor turned and walked away.

Jane smiled again and the blue highlights she once saw over the room turned into a soft, glowing gold as she looked at the gorgeous baby girl.

"She's beautiful," Jane said.

"She is," Lydia said with a warmness that her eyes didn't seem to convey as well as her voice did.

"What's wrong," Jane said as she frowned at Lydia.

Lydia slowly shook her head.

"She's a Rizzoli," Lydia started. "She's amazing. I thought I could do this before, but now..now that I look at her...I'm not ready to take care of her. Not alone."

"What do you mean?"

"I can barely pay my rent and afford food at the same time let alone pay for diapers and baby food and clothes and bibs and blankets and stuffed animals on top of that. It's too much. I thought I was going to have a secure place to live, but I don't. I thought I was going to have a husband, but I don't. I thought I was going to have enough money to get by with this baby in my life, but I won't! She's yours, Jane."

"What? No, no, she's yours. You can still take care of her without a husband."

She shook her head.

"You get the honor of naming her. I don't think she's been mine since your father left me."

"This is crazy. You don't know what you're saying."

"I do. She's better off with you and your family then she is with me."

Jane shook her head as Lydia handed over the baby.

"Keep her safe," Lydia said as Jane finally accepted the baby.

She made a few noises as her eyes slowly opened and closed while she rested in Jane's arms.

"Protecting people is what I do," Jane nervously joked as she nearly cried.

* * *

Babies were anything but Jane Rizzoli's strong suit. She didn't understand them, didn't like the messes they made, and certainly didn't like waking up every night in the middle of the night to rock them back to sleep.

The baby wailed in the once peaceful night and disrupted Jane's short slumber.

She groaned and made a whining sound of her own as she rolled out of bed and onto her feet. She trudged down the hall and into the nursery.

The crying sounded like it was right in her ear though she'd only reached the door at that point.

"Shh, it's okay, Avery," she tiredly cooed with a frown as she approached the crib.

Baby Avery continued to cry and fuss as Jane leaned over the crib and looked down at her.

"Shh, shh shh," Jane tried to calm her as she picked Avery up and started to bounce and rock her.

Jane cascaded around the room several times and with each change of direction, Avery lost more intensity in volume. After a long, tiring twenty minutes, Avery eased back into sleep.

Jane placed her back in the crib and sighed before she turned and crept away. She rubbed her forehead with her index finger and thumb as she headed down the hall and into her room.

Just as she attempted to walk into the room, a disheveled body appeared at the end of the hall.

"Aw, Maura, I'm sorry. Did she wake you again," Jane asked a bit above a whisper.

"Yes," Maura answered with detectable exhaustion in her tone.

"I'm really sorry. Staying here with her was a bad idea. I can move back into my apartment tomorrow."

"No, Jane, it's fine," Maura shook her head.

"It's really not. Look at you, Maura. You're always up, every night when the baby is up. You're falling asleep in the middle of autopsies according to Korsak and don't nearly spout off nearly as many useless facts as you did before. And Avery isn't at all related to you. You shouldn't have to put up with this."

Maura stepped closer to Jane and each step brought her out of her the dark. She stood a couple feet away from the tall brunette, moonlight illuminating her face.

"I agreed to you living here with Avery because your apartment is too small to take care of a baby in. I don't regret my decision."

Jane sighed again.

"Thanks, Maur," she smiled. "You've been an amazing friend."

"I know had the situation been reversed, you would've done the same for me."

"You're damn right," Jane slowly, but truthfully said with a hint of laughter.

Maura chuckled.

"I just came by to see how you were holding up," Maura admitted.

"Oh...well, I'm...good. Eternally tired, but I think I'll manage."

They tiredly smiled at each other for a moment.

"Well, we should probably get some sleep while we still can," Jane suggested.

"I agree," Maura pointed at Jane.

"See you in the morning," Jane dismissively waved as her eyes stayed glued to Maura's.

"Goodnight," Maura flashed a quick smile as she continued to stare at Jane in return.

* * *

Thankfully for the overworked, underpaid, full-handed brunette, Avery quietly moved with her as Jane gracefully handed the baby to Maura.

Maura smiled as she readjusted Avery in her arms and slowly swayed her side to side.

Jane reached into a cabinet above the kitchen counter and pulled out a small jar of baby food. She shut the cabinet and turned to a drawer then grabbed on appropriate sized, baby-safe spoon.

Maura sat down at the kitchen table with Avery in her lap, facing outward.

Jane joined them and set the food and the spoon on the table for a moment. She grabbed the edge of a chair and pulled it closer to Maura and the baby. When it hit the back of her thighs, she sat down and picked up the spoon and jar.

Jane smiled at Avery as she twisted the jar. She held the food idle and smiled until she got Avery to manage at least half a smile.

Maura looked down at Avery and smiled when the golden blonde curled her lips slightly upward with her big green eyes.

"God, she is adorable," Maura said before she looked over Jane.

Jane simplified her smile as she hid her teeth and barely pursed her lips, dimples still apparent on either cheek.

"Yeah, she is," she spoke in a soft, low tone riddled with awe and a bit of pride.

Jane met Maura's gaze and they shared a silent moment of appreciation.

Suddenly, a loud thud startled them. Maura and Jane whipped their heads in the direction of the disruptive sound while Avery began to fuss.

Avery whined a bit when Maura realized it was Angela at the opposite side of the kitchen.

"Shh," Maura gently bounded Avery in her lap while Jane stood and headed toward Angela.

"Ma, what're you doing," Jane asked as she motioned to Maura and the baby.

Jane looked from Angela to the floor and quizzically stared down at a black suitcase Angela had set against the door frame.

"Wha-"

"I'm moving out," Angela forcefully replied before Jane could say another word.

Maura stopped bouncing Avery and looked over at Angela with a dropped jaw.

"Why," Maura managed to ask.

When Jane looked back at Maura, the good doctor stood and held Avery on her hip, Avery's back to Jane and Angela.

"I can't be around _her_," Angela said as she dismissively waved at Avery. "She's your father's baby with another woman."

"C'mon. We don't know that," Jane argued .

"I know it. She's his. That's what I believe and will continue to believe until someone shows me test results!"

Maura stopped beside Jane.

Jane reached out and pressed her fingertips against Maura's unoccupied hip.

"Where are you gonna stay," Jane started to raise her voice then glanced at Avery to make sure she wasn't upset.

"I don't know, but I've got three kids. One of them has to take me in."

Jane scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Just stay at my place," Jane whined as the statement pained her. "I haven't been living there for the past two months and I'm still paying rent."

"Thank you," Angela smiled. "Although, your apartment isn't the guest house."

Jane shook her head.

"But it'll do," Angela finished.

Jane looked at Maura with a "Please get me out of this mess" expression.

Maura furrowed her brow and frowned. Jane had come to know the look her friend gave her at that moment as a "Jane, give your mother a chance" expression.

Jane looked at Angela again.

"I'll drop you off at my apartment before I go in to the station," Jane flatly said.

The front door opened and the three women looked to the main hallway with puzzled expressions.

The doors quickly shut and Tommy Rizzoli appeared cluelessly in the hall as he stared into the living room then looked into the kitchen.

"Oh! What have told you about barging in here," Jane yelled at him.

"Sorry," he defensively raised his hands. "You told me to be here early so I got here early," Jane's anger caused Tommy to respond on edge.

"Whatever. Can I trust you to watch Avery while I'm gone?"

"Trust me? What kind of person do you think I am?"

"The kind that screws up," Jane blatantly stated with an icy, bitter demeanor.

Tommy scoffed and shook his head.

"Thanks for the support then," he sarcastically said.

"Deal with it. You know what I think. My opinion hasn't changed in years."

"And yet you still called me," he said.

"Jane, don't fight with your brother," Angela jumped in.

Jane swiftly yanked her keys out of her pocket, her eyes angrily locked on Tommy.

"Go wait in the car, ma."

"Jane, I-"

"In the car, ma," she turned to Angela and spoke slower, with more emphasis to convey her shortened temper.

"Okay," Angela quickly said somewhat under her breath and grabbed the keys from Jane.

Angela spun on her heels and yanked her suitcase away from the wall. She puled it along and walked between Tommy and Jane on her way out.

Maura sighed and frowned as she watched Angela leave. Avery squirmed in her arms and Maura repositioned the little blonde against her body.

Jane redirected her blazing stare at Tommy again.

"I called you because Frankie's at work and can't help out like I wish he could. Maura certainly can't stay home and watch Avery because she runs the morgue and this baby isn't at all related to her."

"And you can't watch the baby?"

"No, Tommy, I can't because for months now I've watched her! I've fed her, bathed her, bought clothes for her that I take on and off day and night. I've changed her diaper so many times in one day, my hands still motion like they're changing diapers even when I'm asleep!"

"See, you've already got the babysitting gig down," Tommy tried to make that sound positive.

Jane shook her head.

"I haven't been to work in over two months!"

"So?"

"So she's not my baby!"

"Well, she isn't mine."

"God, I can't- What is with the Rizzoli men? You _and_ dad swear she isn't yours, but she's either yours or his."

"Not. Mine."

Jane groaned.

"You're out of work, Tommy! Avery is your family no matter how you look at it. Man up! Be responsible for once in your so far pathetic life and watch her while I bust my ass to feed this family!"

Maura's jaw dropped a bit, concern written clear across her face.

Tommy gulped, his eyes almost fearfully staring into Jane's enraged hazel eyes.

Tense silence filled the room and spoke louder than any words.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think in a review :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Glad to update this story. Thank you for all the reviews so far. I hope you enjoy the latest installation. :)**_

* * *

Avery cried as she lay in her stroller. She squirmed, jabbed, and rolled in the seat to no avail.

Tommy ran a hand through his thick but short hair and pursed his lips as he looked back and forth between Avery and the front door.

"It's okay. I just want to get out of the house," Tommy tried to tell her.

She continued to cry.

"Man," he muttered as he placed his head in his hands."I can't go anywhere with you!"

His phone buzzed and he quickly slid it from his pocket to his hand. The screen showed he had one new text message from Sean. It read, "Where are you? I already got us a table."

Tommy sighed before he typed a response.

"Be there soon. Bringing a chick magnet."

After Tommy sent his reply, he looked at Avery as she continued to whine. He stared for a moment before he slipped his phone back into his pocket and stepped up to the stroller.

He picked her up and awkwardly held her half the distance of his arms away.

"I don't know what to do with you," he confessed.

He brought her closer and eventually held Avery against his body, her chin above his shoulder.

He turned his body side to side from his hips and placed a protective hand on her back, his fingers at the base of her neck while his palm rested between her tiny shoulder blades.

She didn't settle. Avery continued to cry in Tommy's ear without any hint of stopping.

"What! What do you want from me," he asked as he pulled her away from him.

She only cried more.

Tommy scrunched up his face and looked down at Avery's waist.

"Aw, no. No, no, no. I did _not _sign up for diaper duty," he complained.

He awkwardly took Avery into the nursery and placed her on the makeshift changing table: the counter on the dresser.

Avery squirmed on top of a plastic covered foam pad. Her cries turned into whines, which encouraged Tommy to move forward with his plan to change her diaper and leave.

Tommy removed Avery's pants and daintily picked at the sides of the diaper. As he pulled it open, a mess of ugly appeared.

"Oh, gross," he said as he flinched away from her, his hands defensively raised to protect his face from unseen evil.

He slowly moved closer and kept his face scrunched up as he proceeded. He gently grabbed Avery's ankles and lifted her butt off the surface. He pulled the diaper out from under her and flipped one half over the other to contain the mess inside.

"Uck," he continued to complain as he slid the dirty diaper off the dresser and in to the trash can beside it.

He carefully relinquished Avery so her butt lay on the changing pad once again. He looked around the nursery for fresh diapers with panic in his eyes.

"Where the hell are the diapers," Tommy yelled as he looked like he was quickly losing his mind.

* * *

Jane took a deep breath and calmly released it in a sigh. She smiled as she took in the sight of the Boston Police Department.

The work station had a familiar smell and look, one that Jane had then appreciated for not smelling like a two month old baby or looking like a nursery.

She looked at her desk and noticed a few things different about it. She could see the back of a picture frame and squishy stress ball she knew weren't hers.

She frowned and looked quizzically at the changes.

"Jane," a low, familiar voice happily asked behind her.

She turned around to see Korsak and smiled.

"Hey."

Korsak was smiling before Jane had even turned around. After they made eye contact, he stepped closer and he held her as though he was afraid to let go.

"It's so good to see you," he said as he continued to hold her. "I've been meaning to stop by, but Cavanaugh has us workin' like slaves since you took time off."

They separated, but Korsak took a moment to look Jane over.

"You look great."

Jane raised an eyebrow.

"I don't mean it sarcastically or in a creepy way. I just missed you. BPD isn't the same without you."

Jane smiled again.

"I missed you too, Korsak. ...What's up with my desk?"

"Oh, well, Cavanaugh had to hire someone to fill your position since he didn't know when you'd be back."

"And nobody told me? I could've at least come in to clear out my desk! Where's my stuff?"

"Relax. Frost and I split up your things and each dedicated a drawer in our desks to keep them safe until you came back."

"Really," she asked as she began to glow.

"Yeah, we wouldn't let anyone take this job or your things from you. We've got your back."

"Then why do I feel like I'm out of a job?"

Korsak shook his head.

"Cavanaugh took on a transfer from Vice. You're still on the payroll, you just won't have a desk until you're back."

Korsak furrowed his brow.

"Are you back?"

Jane scanned the room before she turned back to Korsak and answered.

"Uh, unfortunately, not right now. I wanted to work today, but I can't guarantee I'll be able to get someone to watch Avery all the time."

He nodded with understanding.

"Having done it myself, I think it's great what you're doing, honorable even."

"What?"

"Raising Avery when everyone knows she's not your daughter."

"No, honorable is raising a kid and loving them no matter how badly their parents screwed up."

Korsak frowned.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Jane started. "I don't know if I truly love Avery like I should."  
Hearing the confession out loud, both Jane and Korsak looked sad and shocked.

Frost then walked in and smiled as he saw Jane.

"Hey, you're back!"

"Actually," Jane slowly started, her eyes still wide in shock. "I'm n-"

Suddenly, Jane's phone buzzed on her hip. She grabbed it and read the caller ID to herself. She rolled her eyes. _Tommy._

"You've only been watching her for twenty minutes. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find the diapers," he said.

Jane sighed and slowly closed her eyes, already tired of the situation. She just as slowly opened them before she replied.

"They're in the first drawer of the dresser."

Jane could heard the drawer open.

"Oh."

Jane nodded with an expression that said, "Yep, my little brother is an idiot."

"Thanks."

"Mmhmm," she said. "Don't forget to use the baby wipes before you put on a new diaper."

"Really," Tommy started to whine again. "I's not enough that it smells and she squirms? I've got to rub her ass and everything with a wipe?!"

"Watch your language around Avery. And don't complain to me about changing diapers," Jane raised her voice.

Korsak and Frost watched as the conversation escalated. Korsak looked more sympathetic and sad though, given the new information he'd learned before Frost had joined them.

"I asked you to watch her for one day," Jane turned her back on Frost and Korsak and started to walk further into the work area. "One day, Tommy. Just do me this one favor. Is that too much to ask?"

"Fine. I'll call if I need anything else."

"Fine, but make sure it's serious. I don't want you to call because you can't find the baby food. You can look for it yourself. You're a big boy."

"All right. All right."

He hung up and Jane scoffed before she hung up.

She turned back and faced Korsak and Frost.

"I'm not back," she said to Frost with a straight face, obviously aggravated at that point.

Jane walked passed them and headed toward Cavanaugh's office. Korsak and Frost stayed behind. Frost looked concerned as he watched her walk away.

Jane knocked on Cavanaugh's door and didn't wait for a response before she entered.

"Geez, Rizzoli," Cavanaugh only looked mildly pissed at her intrusion. "Next time wait for the green light to come in here."

"Sorry, sir. This can't wait."

"Are you sure because I've been waiting to hear from you for a while now. Had to take a guy from Vice to fill in."

"I heard. Look, I thought I could get my hands on a case file or two while I can."

"How long can you stay?"

"The entire day, but that's as far as I know for sure right now."

Cavanaugh paused.

"Best I can do for you is training."

"What?"

"Medical training. You can hang out with Doctor Isles in the morgue and log in some hours as part of your furthering education on the force."

Jane sighed and slowly turned on her heels to leave, shoulders slumped forward in disappointment.

"And Rizzoli," Cavanaugh piped up and got Jane to stop walking, but not turn to face him. "If I see you upstairs, it better be to leave or you're out of here until you're workin' full time again."

Jane closed her eyes out of aggravation, but opened them when she growled her dislike. She then resumed walking as she headed for the elevator.

As Jane pressed the down arrow, she knew she'd get to see Maura Isles outside the home once again, which wasn't a bad thing, but Jane wanted to get her hands dirty. She wanted to think critically about a case and put together the pieces of the puzzle like she used to do before Avery became her responsibility.

She wanted her old life back.

* * *

Tommy sat across from his old high school buddy Sean outside a nice restaurant. He had Avery with him in the stroller, her sensitive eyes ad skin protected from the sun as she faced Tommy.

After Tommy had changed her diaper, Avery behaved for the most part. She occasionally squirmed or made sounds of discomfort, but she could easily correct those issues, so she didn't spend too much time time whining.

"So...what's up with the baby again," Sean asked as he looked from Avery to Tommy with confusion.

"She's Lydia's," Tommy explained.

"Lydia Sparks?"

Tommy nodded.

"Then what are _you _doing with her?"

"My sister needed me to watch her for the day."

"Wait, your sister? If the baby is Lydia's, how's your sister involved?"

Tommy looked down at Avery as she held a tiny foot in her in hands. He then looked up at Sean again.

"It's complicated."

"Okay" Sean recognized Tommy wouldn't give him the whole story. "So what's new with you...you know, except for the Mr. Mom role you're playing today? Got your eyes on any ladies?"

"Nah. I've got to take care of myself first, you know. I've just kinda been floatin' around after I got out of prison."

"Where've you been staying?"

"A friend of mine's been letting me crash on his couch for a while, but it wasn't my first choice."

"And what was your first choice?"

"Lydia."

"Oh," Sean said as if he understood everything.

"I'd stayed with her for a few months, but it wasn't gonna work out so I left."

"Sorry, man," Sean sincerely sounded sympathetic. "What about work?"

"Freelance. Any work I find. Lately, I've been workin' with a temp agency."

"Well, that's good. At least you're making money, right," Sean smiled.

"Yeah," Tommy smiled back before he checked on Avery.

She began to murmur and kick so Tommy picked up her pacifier and put it in her mouth.

Avery accepted it and let out a little sigh as she relaxed again.

"You know, I've been in touch with a few of the guys. We've been talkin' about gettin' together. What do you say?"

"That'd be great," Tommy beamed at his friend. When?"

"How about tonight? Eric and I agreed and I'm sure we could get Dave to stop by, maybe even round up a few others? We could have an unofficial, impromptu class reunion."

"Ah, I don't think I can do it tonight. With the baby, I just-"

"You said your sister asked you to watch her for the _day_, right. By nine or ten tonight, she should be lookin' out for the little one again."

"Man, I don't know. Jane's kind of a tight ass."

"Yeah, I remember," Sean interrupted. "But it's not like it's your baby, right? You should have some fun every once in a while, especially after all that prison time."

Tommy contemplated his decision.

"C'mon, Tommy, what have you got to lose? It's just the guys," Sean encouraged.

Tommy blew out a sigh.

"All night. Make it nine thirty to be safe and tell Dave to bring the beers."

Sean smiled and joyously bit his bottom lip while he pumped his fists in the air.

"Yes," Sean gleefully hissed.

* * *

Jane stood behind Maura with a tired and frustrated expression, her arms folded across her chest.

She sighed and caused Maura to stop her examination of the body laid out in front of her.

Maura stood up straight and delicately held her scalpel at chest level.

"You're hovering."

"And that's a problem because...?"

"I can feel your breath on my neck. It's very distracting."

Jane smiled.

"Sorry. Although, I'm sure breathing on you isn't the only thing I do that distracts you," Jane said as she stepped over to Maura's side.

"You're right about that," Maura said with a subtext littered inflection.

Jane smirked and cocked an eyebrow.

Maura scrunched up her face as she considered her statement.

"That didn't come out right."

Jane scrunched up her face as well as she hid her smile and shook her head.

"No, it didn't."

Maura nodded her head side to side as she weighed her options on how to proceed with the conversation.

"You know you've been here three hours and you still haven't helped or learned anything," Maura decided to change the subject.

"No offense to you, Maur, but I'd rather be upstairs."

"I know," Maura calmly stated with sympathy. "But you're here and that's better than talking to an infant that not only doesn't understand you, but also can't communicate, right?"

Jane sighed again.

"Yes," she whined as she closed her eyes.

"You'll be fine, Jane," Maura tried to courage her struggling friend.

"Really, because I'm stating to think my life couldn't get any worse."

Maura frowned and lowered her scalpel.

"Jane," she sadly said.

Jane shook her head.

"Never mind," she dismissed her statement and the rest of the conversation. "Teach me how to make the Y-incision."

Jane stepped in front of Maura, between the slab and the medical examiner.

Maura took a moment to push aside her feelings before she grazed Jane's palm with the backside of her hand.

Jane grabbed Maura's hand and Maura guided it toward the victim's right shoulder. Jane watched as Maura majestically pressed the scalpel into the victim's skin.

Maura cut diagonally toward the victim's sternum, Jane's hand delicately on top of hers the entire time.

Normally, Maura would speak, tell whoever she was teaching the scientific words behind her actions, but in that moment with Jane, she found herself speechless for the first time. Speechless in a comfortable silence kind of way when words were unnecessary.

Maura lifted hers and Jane's hands and began to cut from the left shoulder down to the sternum like the previous cut. Once they met the end point of the other incision, Maura cut down the center of the body. She felt Jane squeeze the sides of her hand with the detective's fingertips.

Maura deeply but slowly inhaled as she and Jane finished the incision. There was a moment between them that Maura soon knew Jane had also felt as the tall woman simultaneously inhaled with her.

Jane turned her head and looked behind her at Maura. She shared the same wide eyed expression of uncovered desire as Maura brought her hand closer and with it Jane's followed.

Jane adjusted the angle at which she held Maura's hand as it became a more intimate embrace. Jane didn't dare turn her whole body around.

Suddenly, the morgue doors opened and Detective Frost's voice greeted the women.

"Hey," he started.

Maura immediately dropped the scalpel as she and Jane jumped at the sound.

Jane whipped her head around, a panicked expression on her face.

"Oh, did I interrupt something," he asked as he looked at Jane and Maura with suspicion.

"What," Jane furrowed her brow as she quickly tried to cover.

Maura bent down and retrieved the scalpel. She brushed it off with her index finger as she stood and glanced up at Frost before she took it to the sink.

"No," Jane finally answered Frost. "Maura was just showing me how to make a Y-incision."

Jane pointed at Maura who still stood at the sink.

Maura turned around at the mention of her name and forced a smile at Frost.

"Yes," Maura started as she turned off the faucet and shook the scalpel dry on her way back to the slab. "Just a simple autopsy procedure. Would you like to try, Detective Frost?"

"Huh? Oh, no. No, thanks, Doctor," he quickly went from suspicious to nauseous.

Maura smiled, which told Jane she had successfully fulfilled her motive behind asking Frost to participate.

"I just came down to see if you'd gotten the test results back on my John Doe," Frost continued.

"Oh, yes," Maura said she placed the still wet scalpel back on the metal tray table.

Maura pulled off her gloves one at a time as she walked into her office and grabbed a manila folder. She reentered the morgue and opened the folder as she brought it to Frost.

"Your John Doe had Ketamine in his system before he died," she informed him.

"Ketamine?"

"Mmhmm."

"That's an increasingly popular street drugs. ...Someone must have drugged him before they killed him."

"That sounds like guessing. I don't like to guess," Maura stated, back to her usual ways.

Jane smirked as Frost momentarily pursed his lips.

"Right. I'll just you two get back to your..._Y-incision_," Frost said as he looked from Maura to Jane and smiled.

* * *

Music played in the living room, an iPod plugged into the stereo, as Tommy worked in the kitchen.

A few people other than him and Sean were over, but it wasn't a large crowd. Sean kept the small group at bay while Tommy filled large plastic bowls with different kinds of chips.

The doorbell rang and Tommy looked up.

Sean walked past the kitchen and made eye contact with Tommy.

"I'll get it," Sean held up a hand as a sign to stay put.

When Sean opened the door, six people walked in with smiles and loud, excited voices. Everyone already at the house cheered with those who'd just arrived.

"Whoo," everyone raised their hands as the six new people joined everyone in the living room.

Tommy grabbed three bowls and carried them out the living room. He set them down on the coffee table and gripped Sean's bicep.

"Hey," Tommy started. "Nobody was supposed to show up here or this early."

"Dave said it'd be the best place to hang since there's all this space. Relax. It's only seven-thirty, plenty of time to chill before your big sis comes back."

Tommy sighed, a little fed up.

"Here," Sean offered him his beer. "Have the rest of it and sit down. You haven't seen these people in years. Enjoy the company."

Sean smiled and patted Tommy on the back of his shoulder before he turned and headed into the kitchen.

Tommy looked at the bottle then looked up in the direction of the kitchen. He sighed with an expression that read, "Here goes nothing" and tipped back the bottle. When he lowered it, there was only a forth left.

"Dude," Sean said he reentered the living room with a baby monitor. "You might wanna keep this on you."

Sean tossed it a few feet and Tommy caught it just as Avery started to cough.

Avery carried on to make sounds of discomfort, which caused Tommy to sigh and roll his eyes.

He made his way toward the bedrooms with the monitor in hand. When he got to the nursery, he closed the door as quickly as he'd opened it and began to calm Avery.

"Shh, it's okay," he said into the darkness, only two night lights close to the crib on in the room.

Avery didn't cry. She only squirmed and groaned.

Tommy reached out and touched her stomach. He gently squeezed it with his fingertips and tried to keep her from rolling onto her side.

"Easy, baby," he said in a soft, soothing tone.

Avery fidgeted less.

Tommy squeezed and released his grip on and off with her stomach until she made pleased sounds and started to drift off to sleep.

The noise level on the other side of the door began to rise and Tommy left Avery to her sleep.

He made a swift exit out of the nursery and headed back into he living room, several more people in the house than there were when he went to check on Avery.

"Tommy," four new arrivals smiled as they all opened their arms toward him.

Tommy smiled and walked into a group hug with them.

"Hey, guys," Tommy said as he squeezed the four of them as best he could as they started to suffocate him. "It's great to see you."

"God, Tommy," a guy new to the party yelled over everyone's conversations by the stereo. "It's like you forgot how to throw a party."

The guy turned a nob and raised the music volume.

"Yeah," several others cheered and raised their drinks.

* * *

Maura organized her stack of paperwork neatly on the corner of her desk while Jane lay sprawled out on the couch.

"Do you do this every time you leave," Jane asked with an impatient tone of voice.

"Yes. I don't like to come back to a mess. It makes my job easier when I know where everything is."

Jane looked at the clock that hung on the wall between the couch and the office door that lead into the morgue.

"C'mon- Maura! It's nine thirty-five. It's been a long day for me. I'd really like to get out of here."

"Calm down, Jane. I'm almost done," Maura said as he stood. "Did you wan to grab a drink?"

"Maybe a six pack at the store."

"Fine, as long as we also get a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon," Maura bargained as she pronounced the name of the red wine with a perfect and alluring accent.

"Ugh. All right, but I'm not drinking it."

Maura smiled as she put on her coat. She then bent down and picked up Jane's work boots. She came to stand beside the couch and dangled the boots over Jane.

Jane groaned.

"What if I drive and you can get out and get the drinks," Jane suggested.

"Put them on," Maura babied her.

Jane yanked the boots out of Maura's hand and sat up. She put them on and held out her hands for Maura to take.

Maura understood and held Jane's hands in hers as she pulled Jane onto her feet.

* * *

Tommy worked on his fifth beer as he answered the door.

"Dave," he happily greeted. "Finally!"

"Hey, Tommy," Dave smiled as he pulled Tommy in for a hug. "I brought a few people."

Dave hitched a thumb over his shoulder at two guys an seven girls behind him.

The guys each held two paper bags from a well known liquor store on the other side of town, the side Tommy was more familiar with.

"Okay," Tommy said. "The more the merrier, right?"

"Hell yeah," Dave's smile widened as he patted the top of Tommy's shoulder and stepped inside. "Nice place. Is it yours?"

"Nah, it's my sister's friends'."

"Oh, Janie? She's got friends in high places then, doesn't she."

"Guess so."

"Hey, is she seein' anyone," Dave asked as his guests plowed past the two of them and into the living room.

"Not that I know of, but I swear her and her friend have somethin' goin' on."

"The friend who lives here?"

"Yeah."

"What a shame. I was thinkin' of askin' her out."

Tommy laughed.

"Even if there wasn't a vibe between her and her friend, she wouldn't go out with you."

Dave punched Tommy in the bicep and smiled.

"Damn, Tommy. You've stepped up your game since I last saw you. I like it."

Tommy laughed as Dave draped his arm over Tommy's shoulder and walked with him toward the center of the party.

"Who wants some shots," Dave announced.

"Whoo!"

"Yeah!"

"Fuckin' right!"

Everyone victoriously raised their hands and smiled.

One of the guys that came with Dave pulled a bottle of Vodka out of the paper bag he'd brought in. The other guy that had come in with Dave pulled out a package of plastic shot glasses.

He ripped open the package and everyone grabbed a glass. The first guy opened the Vodka bottle and started pouring everyone a shot.

* * *

Jane sighed as she leaned against a wine rack.

"Later that same day. It's just a bottle of wine, Maura. Pick one up and let's go."

"The name means everything," Maura slightly pouted. "If you don't get the right brand, you won't have the best experience."

"Do you say that about condoms, too," Jane flatly asked.

"No, I look for the ones that guarantee both the most safety and pleasure."

"Oh, Maur- Ew."

"What," Maura laughed. "You asked."

"It was rhetorical."

"Maybe next time you should specify what you want to know and what you don't."

"Meanwhile, we're still standing here waiting for you to get some wine when we could be at home enjoying it by now."

"I thought yo said you weren't going to have any," Maura frowned.

Jane closed her eyes and sighed.

* * *

A couple made out on the couch while a woman offered herself for body shots. Dave licked the salt off her abdomen, guzzled down the shot, and accepted the lime from the woman's mouth.

Tommy sat at the kitchen table and downed a shot in tandem with his friend Eric as they sat across from each other.

Sean danced through the kitchen with a woman following behind. They held hands and smiled as they moved toward the refrigerator.

"Yeah, Tommy," Sean called out as he pointed at Tommy. "You the man!"

Tommy smiled at Sean then placed his right elbow on the table. Eric did the same.

Tommy stared into Eric's eyes for a few seconds before a woman next to them said, "Go."

The two began to arm wrestle.

Someone turned up the music.

"This is my jam! It's my jam!"

The guy got on the coffee table and broke it down like only a drunk white guy with limited rhythm could.

Tommy pined his opponent's arm to the table and grinned.

"Drink up," Tommy told him.

The woman next to him filled his plastic shot glass with whiskey. When she finished, Eric immediately tossed the shot back.

"Hey, Sean," Dave called from the living room.

"Yeah," Sean smiled back as he and the woman that was with him grabbed a cold beer from the fridge.

"Tommy's sister," Dave started to sing a drunken rendition of _Stacy's Mom_ by _Fountains of Wayne_. "Has got it goin' on. She's all that I want and I've waited for so long."

Sean laughed and nodded.

"Tommy can't you see, you're sister's hot as can be. I know it might be wrong, but I'm in love with Tommy's sister."

"Fuck yeah," Sean made a "rock on" sign with his hand.

Sean turned to Tommy.

"Dude," Sean loudly started as he left the woman by the fridge and walked over to Tommy with a large smile on his face. "If your sister is takin' care of the baby, that technically makes her a mom!"

"Sure," Tommy furrowed his brow, not knowing where his friend was going with that statement.

"That totally makes Jane a M.I.L.F!"

* * *

Jane drove the rest of the way, but Maura refused to let her take off her shoes.

"I don't understand why you get to drive," Maura started. "It's my car."

"Because you're the one that couldn't decide on a wine."

"I fail to see the correlation between the two events."

"Maura, you stood there with your fingertip pressed to your upper lip for five minutes staring at the same bottle of wine. Then you thought about getting Moscato because you figured I'd rather drink that than your first choice, only to get the Cabernet...Sauvignon after all," Jane said with much frustration.

"What does that have to do with you driving?"

"This way you won't turn around and buy the Mosacto too."

"You know I never thought about that. I should've gotten both."

Jane rolled her eyes.

"Can we go back," Maura asked.

"Seriously," Jane's voice went up an octave in pitch.

Maura laughed.

"I was joking," she looked at Jane.

"Wha-"

Jane looked at Maura, surprised.

"Oh, you've gotten too good at cruel jokes."

"That's not my fault. I spend most of my time with you, Korsak, Frost, and your family. I observe human behavior and might have picked up on a few things. It's classic observational learning."

"Okay, I will give you anything you want if you stop blabbering about science."

"Actually, it's psychology."

"Fine, I'll give you anything to stop talking about _psychology_."

Maura smiled.

* * *

A few whines and groans came from the baby monitor, but Tommy couldn't hear it over the sound of karaoke and the slurs in his own speech.

The couple that had been lip locking on the couch started to scramble across the house, their mouths practically melted together.

They bumped into a few walls and crashed into a couple end tables, but finally reached a door. With his beer-free hand, the man opened the door without so much as a glance at the handle and maneuvered the woman inside, her back to the room.

"Pour some sugar on me," Tommy sang with Sean and Dave.

Tommy laughed until he couldn't find the air in his lungs to sing anymore and put a beer bottle to his lips. He took a swig and sat on the edge of the coffee table while Dave and Sean flailed and sang like off-key idiots standing on it.

The couple didn't bother to shut the door all the way as they proceeded further into the room.

The woman spun the man around and a clink was heard before the man dropped his beer.

"Oh," they both started to giggle.

Suddenly, a loud, shrill noise came from where the beer had fallen.

A baby crying.

"Oh, no," the woman started to feel guilty.

"Holy crap. There's a baby in there," the man asked.

Dave and Sean stopped singing to laugh as they clutched each other by the upper arm.

Avery's cries were then heard loud and clear by Tommy, Dave, Sean, and a few others that sat close enough to the youngest Rizzoli.

"Oh, shit," Tommy jumped to his feet. "Shit!"

Tommy ran into the nursery and flipped on the light switch.

Avery cried louder.

"We're sorry, Tommy," the woman apologized. "We didn't know."

"What?"

Tommy looked into the crib and saw Avery squirming in beer soaked sheets.

"Are you nuts," Tommy yelled at them. "That's a baby! Why the hell is there alcohol anywhere near the baby?"

"Dude," the man started. "Since when is there a baby?!"

"What the hell is going on," Jane's voice boomed throughout the house.

Someone cut the music and everyone fell silent.

"I'm so screwed," Tommy panicked as he pulled at his hair.

Avery continued to cry even in the quiet house.

"I want everyone out," Jane yelled.

Nobody moved or said a word.

"Boston Police. Everyone out before I arrest all of you," Jane flashed her badge.

Everyone scampered like mice and left.

Maura entered the nursery and stared at the couple for a moment.

The couple quickly fled, leaving Tommy behind.

Maura looked into the crib and gasped before she picked Avery up.

Jane bumped into the couple on their way out of the room and stared them down with a vicious death glare.

Avery screamed in Maura's ear as she bounced Avery on her hip.

"What the hell, Tommy," Jane lowered her voice, though not by much.

"Jane," Maura started. "Avery's going to need clean sheets."

"Wha- Why?"

The moment she took to look at Maura was filled with a sense of temporary calm, but when she quickly looked at Tommy, rage replaced it.

Jane took large steps to the crib while Tommy attempted to defend himself.

"I didn't know this many people would show up. It wasn't even supposed to be here. If I'd have known that couple was gonna come in here-"

"Oh! That's it," Jane yelled when she saw the beer bottle in the crib. "Get out."

"Jane just listen to me," Tommy begged.

"I don't wanna hear it anymore, Tommy! You messed up real bad this time, do you understand me? You might very well be that little girl's father," she pointed Avery. "And you couldn't keep her safe for a day. If you can't watch her without something like this happening, I don't want you around her. You got that?"

Tommy looked at Maura as she gently bounced Avery to the dresser.

"Shh, shh, shh," Maura quietly tried to calm Avery.

"Don't look at her," Jane pointed a warning finger at her brother. "Maura can't help you."

Tommy stared into the hardened eyes of his big sister. He looked angry at himself and took a moment before he walked out.

"Shh, it's okay, baby," Maura coaxed as she worked on getting Avery out of her damp pajamas.

Jane sighed and reached into the closet on the top shelf and pulled out a second set of sheets. She swapped out the dirty ones with them and tried to take a deep breath.

"There you go," Maura smiled down at Avery after she'd finished changing her.

Maura picked Avery up and started to sway with her.

Jane finished tucking in the last corner of the bed sheet and looked up at Maura.

"You want your pacifier," Maura asked. "Yes?"

Maura grabbed a pacifier out of a container full of them stashed in the top drawer of the dresser.

"There it is," Mara smiled again as she eased a purple pacifier into Avery's mouth. "Much better, right?"

Avery had finally stopped crying. She was content.

Jane sweetly smiled at the sight.

Mara turned and caught Jane smiling. She smiled back and looked at the crib.

"The clean sheets might absorb some of the beer that soaked through the other sheets," Maura informed Jane.

Jane's smile faded and she bit her lip as she inspected the crib again.

"I'm too tired to fix the sheets again," Jane confessed.

"I'll take care of it," Maura offered. "Take Avery into the guest room and I'll worry about the mess."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Go," Maura said as she handed Avery to Jane.

Jane took her to the guest room, which was by then Jane's room, and laid her on the bed.

"Mm," Jane crawled into bed beside Avery.

She laid down on her side and kept Avery in place with a graceful and delicate hand over Avery's stomach.

Maura carefully took off the clean sheets in the crib, making sure they didn't touch the wet mattress. She dabbed at the stain with a wet sponge she'd taken from the bathroom.

She cleaned up then began to dry it with a towel and placed the sheets back on it when she finished. It took her almost five minutes and returned the sponge to its rightful place in the bathroom on her way to the guest room.

When she walked in, she saw Jane passed out with Avery asleep under her comforting hand. Maura smiled and turned off the lights before she walked over to Jane's side of the bed and removed the detective's boots. Once she'd quietly set them on the floor at the edge of the bed, she walked around to the left side of the bed and joined them.

With Avery between Maura and Jane, Maura faced Jane and curled one arm toward herself then extended the other across Avery's ankles. She lightly wrapped her right hand around Avery's left thigh and sighed into a comfortable sleep.

* * *

_**Please leave a review and/or spread the word about this fic. :) Chapter 3 should be up sometime next week, but please don't hold it against me if it's not. And of course, thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

The morning light dawned on Jane and caused her to squint her eyelids shut tighter in a failed attempt to block out the warm rays. She raised her arm and used her hand to shield her, happy to not wake up just yet, but it didn't help. She was awake.

Jane loudly sighed as sat up in bed and took her time trying to adjust to the day. After a few seconds, panic struck as Jane frantically looked down at the bed where Avery once lay with her.

Now Avery was gone.

"Oh, my god," Jane said as she ran a hand through her unruly raven hair.

She turned to check her side of the bed in case Avery fell over and she hadn't heard. Then she got onto all fours and leaned over to check on the other side of the bed. She turned and saw her work boots on the floor and frowned.

She looked behind her and wiggled her toes in her gray socks.

"Wha-"

She cut herself off like she normally did when she verbalized things only meant to be internal thoughts before she smelled something through the vents. She sniffed to get a better sense of what it was before she heard a clank or two coming from beyond the hallway.

Jane swung both legs over her side of the bed and headed toward the kitchen with a confused look on her face.

Once she turned the corner, the kitchen, and everything in it, was exposed to her.

"Oh, Jane, you're up. Just in time for french toast," Maura smiled as she worked on the electric skillet.

The closer Jane approached, the stronger the cinnamon bolted up her nostrils and made her stomach jealous.

"You...made breakfast," Jane asked as she pointed at the skillet behind Maura.

"Yes," Maura smiled until she studied Jane's frown lines and forehead wrinkles. "Is that a problem?"

Maura sounded worried, like she'd done something wrong.

Jane locked eyes with Maura and the recognition set in that Jane made Maura doubt her decision.

"Oh, no," Jane lightened her mood. "I'm just...surprised. I wasn't expecting you to go all domestic on me."

Jane smiled as she said the last part of her statement and got Maura to smile again.

"Well, I didn't think think I was going to do it either, but I remembered I have all day."

"All day? Wha- Maura, what do you mean?"

"I asked for today off so you could go out, get some fresh air."

"When?"

"Yesterday, when you went to get some food from the cafe and your mother bugged you about how unkempt your apartment is."

"Oh. Well, you didn't have to do that, y'know."

"I thought you could use a break and I haven't done anything to help."

"Are you kidding," Jane started as she walked toward the kitchen island, the only physical thing standing between the two women. "Maura, you're letting me live in your guest room. You turned the study into a nursery when I told you at the hospital that Avery would be coming home with me. You've been up with me every night since I brought Avery back here. Hell, you drove us back here! You've been more than kind to me, Maura. You don't owe me anything."

Maura smiled.

"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not keeping score."

After Jane let that comment sink in for a moment, she smiled as well.

"Right. ...Speaking of Avery, where-"

"Sitting in her baby bouncer," Maura answered before Jane could even ask the question.

Jane turned and saw little Avery playing with a set of plastic utensils, waving them around a bit as she stared at them with wide, wondering eyes. Jane beamed, her dimples apparent.

"Uh," Jane started as she turned back to Maura. "I, um, had this dream last night. You were...laying next to me in...in bed. I think Avery was there too."

"It wasn't a dream," Maura stated.

Jane furrowed her brow.

Maura looked up at Jane and smiled before she continued.

"I came in to check on you after I finished changing the sheets, but you were already asleep. Avery too. So I turned off the lights, got those dirty boots off the bed, and slept on the other side."

"Why?"

Jane's face could've been misunderstood to mean, "Who do you think you are coming into my bed that late thinking you could sleep with me?"

It even confused Maura as her expression changed.

"It's not a bad thing," Jane tried to fix Maura's confusion. "I'm curious. It seems...out of place."

"It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before," Maura shrugged it off.

"But last night...last night was different, yeah," Jane asked with confusion.

Maura opened her mouth to talk, but Avery made a semi-squeal and her fork hit the floor a few feet from her baby bouncer.

Jane walked over and picked up Avery's fork while Maura turned off the skillet and shoveled the remaining toast onto the nearby plate.

Jane smiled as she handed Avery her fork and ran her fingertip down Avery's face.

"Good morning," Jane sweetly said.

She turned back to Maura and frowned.

"I don't remember ever waking up to deal with her last night," Jane said as she causally pointed back at Avery.

"You started to," Maura explained. "But I told you to go back to sleep and I took care of it."

"Really," Jane asked with appreciative eyes.

"Yes."

"Thanks, Maura," Jane smiled.

"I've been looking into daycare centers when I have time at work," Maura started. "I was going to look at a few of them today."

"Oh, I should go. I've actually found two that looked nice. I've been meaning to check them out for a few weeks now, but there was just so much to do all of a sudden."

"I know. You've never had to take care of a baby before and suddenly it's your new job without any given notice. It's been stressful."

"And yet you've been by my side every step of the way and manage to get more done than I could ever hope to do myself."

Maura smiled.

"I know you think since Avery's not supposed to be a priority of mine that you should look into daycare places yourself, but I'd like to go with you, if that's okay."

Jane widened her smile and looked Maura over before she responded.

"Okay," Jane happily nodded. "But we're having breakfast first."

Maura lightly chuckled.

"Of course."

Maura grabbed the plate of french toast off the counter brought it to the kitchen table along with a jar of baby food.

Jane removed Avery from her chair and sat down at the table. She placed Avery in her lap, facing the table so Jane could feed her.

Maura sat next to Jane, the two of them facing each other as Maura smiled at Avery. She looked at Jane as she set the plate on the table.

They smiled at each other before Avery accidentally smacked Jane in the face with her fork.

"Oh," Mara tried not to laugh, but failed. "Are you okay?"

"Ow," Jane laughed as well.

Avery flung the fork in several directions with excitement. Jane rubbed her nose to ease the discomfort then reached down and took the fork from Avery.

Jane put the plastic fork on the table a few inches away from the french toast.

Avery groaned in protest, but didn't waste time whining when Maura opened the jar of baby food.

Maura smiled as she fed a spoonful to Avery.

"You like that," Maura asked as she watched Avery swallow.

Avery turned her body as much as she could by herself to face more toward Maura. She stretched out her arms and opened and closed her fists to get her hands on more.

Maura laughed with Jane as they looked down at her.

"I'll take it," Jane continued to smile as she turned her attention to Maura.

Maura handed the jar to Jane then brought the plate of french toast closer to her. She cut two slices of toast into bite size pieces then set a fork on the opposite side of the plate closest to Jane.

"Thanks," Jane said as he fed a spoonful of baby food to Avery.

Maura took her first bite of the toast as Jane set the jar on the table, a plastic spoon still in her hand.

Jane put the spoon in her left hand and grabbed the fork with her right. She picked up three pieces of toast in one bite and devoured them.

Maura shook her head at the sloppy way Jane proceeded to eat. She didn't make a disgusted face. She only smiled as though she was used to it.

Maura helped herself to another piece, taking one bite at a time unlike her friend. She chewed it for a few seconds before she swallowed and waited almost a minute before her next bite.

Jane didn't hesitate. She ate multiple pieces with about five seconds in between bites. She barely chewed them before she swallowed as well. Every time she took a bite, though, she fed Avery another spoonful. She fed herself a bit then she fed Avery then she fed herself again.

When Jane reached for more french toast, Maura took the opportunity to steal Avery's spoon from Jane. She moved the jar closer to her on the table and continued to feed Avery. There was no protest from Jane, but there wasn't a thank you either. The two of them naturally started to move together in silence, both of them falling in line with the other. Things were starting to click.

Maura fed Avery the rest of the jar and took her from Jane as the raven haired detective ate her last bite of french toast. Maura carried Avery into the kitchen and stopped in front of the sink. She grabbed a cloth from the counter and tossed it over the shoulder Avery didn't block with her head.

She repositioned Avery against her body so Avery was on the same side as the cloth and draped her hair over her unoccupied shoulder. Maura then gently patted Avery's back while Jane took the plate of french toast into the kitchen.

Jane grabbed the last bite of toast with her fingers and set the empty plate next to the sink. She held the toast in front of Maura's face at mouth level after Maura had turned to face her.

Maura leaned in and accepted it as she continued to burp Avery.

Jane went to the sink and washed the plate then disposed of the empty food jar. She turned around in time to hear Avery burp and came around to Maura's side.

"I'm ready whenever you are," Jane said as she placed a light hand on Maura's back.

"Okay. We can take my car," Maura replied as she moved Avery to her other side.

Jane moved with Maura and slid the cloth off Maura's abandoned shoulder. She folded it and walked to the nursery with Maura in the lead.

Jane grabbed the diaper bag off the floor beside the dresser while Maura took Avery with her to the closet.

Maura rolled out the stroller and Jane swooped in to take it from her.

"I got it," Jane said as she pulled the stroller along to the front door.

Maura followed that time, Avery still on her hip, and the two of them went straight to Maura's car like a married couple with a routine.

Jane popped the trunk and lay the stroller inside. When Maura approached the back door, Jane pressed a button and unlocked all the doors. Maura opened the door without hesitation as though she knew Jane would unlock it in perfect time and settled Avery into her car seat.

Jane shut the trunk and came around to the driver's side, the same side Avery's seat was on, and saw Maura lean in and kiss Avery's forehead.

At first, Jane was shocked. She'd never seen the medical examiner so emotional involved with another human being. Maura was always so reserved and scientific. Jane even expected her to rattle off about how many germs travel in a simple, chaste kiss like that, but the information never came.

Maura backed away from the door and smiled at Avery as she shut it. She turned to Jane, who had stopped a few inches away from the doctor.

Jane stared.

Maura smiled and cocked her head to the side.

"What," Maura asked with hint of laughter.

"Nothing," Jane snapped out of her trance. "I've just...never seen this side of you before."

"What side?"

"The side that believes in pure human contact."

"I believe in human contact," she frowned. "Sexual intercourse is-"

"Yes, Maura. But that's not the same as sleeping beside someone with a baby in between the two of you. It's not the same as a friendly hug when someone needs support. It's not the same as kissing a person's forehead."

Maura looked puzzled.

"You usually keep your hands to yourself, but lately, you've been..._here_," Jane slowly said as she tried to figure it out herself.

"Of course I've been here. I live here."

"No, I mean..." Jane trailed off as she took a moment to study Maura. "Never mind. We've got daycare centers to check out."

Jane tried to shrug it off as she brushed passed Maura and opened the driver's door.

Maura frowned for another moment as cogs visibly turned in her head to make sense of the conversation. Unsatisfied with the fruitless results, Maura shook her head and lightened her demeanor. She casually walked around the back of the car and got in on the passenger's side.

Within a few seconds, the brake lights went on as Jane shifted gears before they drove off.

* * *

Maura held a printed list of daycare facilities as Jane parked next to the curb in front of Maura's house.

"That wasn't so bad," she confessed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Maura smiled.

Jane turned off the car and rested her hands on the steering wheel.

Avery kicked at the foot of her car seat until one of her socks started to fall off.

Maura looked back to check on Avery and smiled at her focus, determined to completely remove the sock.

Jane looked at Maura again as she was about to say something, but turned to see what captured Maura's attention. She saw Avery rubbing her little foot against the edge of the car seat and flashed a smile.

"I'll get her shoes and meet you inside."

"Are you taking Avery in with you?"

"Yes, Maura. I meant, I'll put her shoes on her feet and take her inside with me when I join you in there."

"You really should say what you mean, Jane. It's hard for people to understand you when you hide behind sarcasm and casual terms and sentences."

Jane rolled her eyes.

"Right. I'll try and use proper terminology next time."

Maura frowned.

"Is something wrong?"

"I've never done this before."

"Done what?"

"You know...take on this kind of responsibility."

"What makes you think I have?"

"You're confidence."

Maura's lips parted in surprise as she slightly cocked her head to the side.

Jane smirked.

"No, I don't think you've done this before. I just... You're really good at it."

"Thank you."

Jane opened her door and got out. She slid across the side of the car and fluidly opened Avery's door. She picked Avery's shoes up off the car floor and smiled at Avery as she tried to put one on.

Avery fussed. She pulled her foot away from Jane and started to frown.

Maura closed her door and opened the back. She leaned inside in case Jane needed help.

Jane gently squeezed at Avery's ankle and brought her foot closer. Avery moved her foot from side to side and made things more difficult than they had to be.

Jane sighed.

"Come on, Avery. Be nice to me."

Avery squealed and kicked Jane in the nose.

"Oh! ...Again," Jane asked as she dropped Avery's shoe and delicately touched her nose.

Maura winced and waited for Jane to pull her hand away from her face to see the damage.

Avery started to cry and she attempted to roll onto her side in the car seat, her seat belt still fastened.

"Let me see," Maura said as she reached across the backseat and lowered Jane's hand.

Blood trickled down her nose and stopped at her upper lip.

"Jane, you're bleeding."

Avery's cries grew louder the more times she attempted to free herself from her restraints.

"I'll be okay. Get her to shut up," Jane calmly said as she put her hand over her mouth to conceal the blood and pointed to Avery.

Maura frowned and did what Jane wanted. She undid Avery's seat belt and took Avery into her arms.

Avery started to settle a bit as Jane popped out of the car and shut the door.

"Shh, shh," Maura rocked Avery though her eyes were locked on Jane. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Jane said as she locked the car and headed inside.

Maura followed behind her with Avery on her hip.

"What hand towel should I use to absorb the blood," Jane asked as she tilted her head back and lightly pinched the bridge of her nose.

"In the drawer with all the other towels, you can take the first one you see."

"Thanks."

Jane unlocked the house and stepped aside, her hand on the door, for Maura to walk in. Jane closed the door behind her and made a bee line to the kitchen. She pulled open the drawer with several other hand towels neatly folded inside like she'd done it plenty of times before and swiped the first one from the stack. She applied the towel to her nose and turned to find Maura.

Maura placed Avery in her play pen and grabbed a toy from the coffee table in the living room to give to her. She set it down next to Avery in the pen and walked into the kitchen.

"How's the bleeding," Maura asked.

Jane lowered the towel.

"That looks bad," Maura scrunched up her face.

"I feel a bruise forming," Jane flatly said as she started to bring the towel back to her nose.

Maura grabbed Jane's wrist and stopped her from covering her nose again. She inspected the damage and raised her index finger.

"Wait," Maura said as she went to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack. "Try this."

Maura handed her the ice pack and watched as Jane squirmed under the pressure the ice put on her injury.

"Keep the ice on it for another half hour and we'll see what happens."

"What, no sure fire solution?"

"Not this time. It's hard to tell what Avery's foot could have done to your nose."

"Even after she already hit me in the nose with a spoon?"

"Yes, even considering that. I doubt it's anything major. She couldn't have kicked you that hard, but to be safe, I recommend icing it for thirty minutes."

"Okay, Doctor," Jane said before she clenched her jaw at the pain caused by reapplying the ice pack.

Avery stayed quiet and cooperative as she rolled around in the play pen.

Maura started to rub Jane's arm when the doorbell rang.

"Wah," Avery shouted.

"I'll get that," Maura said as she reluctantly walked away from Jane.

When Maura pulled the door open, she stood with her mouth wide open as her eyes nearly popped out of their respective sockets. She backed away from the door and the man on the other side started to walk in as though he lived there as well.

"Frank, what are you doing here," Maura asked loudly enough for Jane to hear.

Jane furrowed her brow and walked passed the living room toward the main hall.

"Hello, Maura. I'm lookin' for Tommy," Frank said as stepped inside, closer to the surrounding area of the living room.

"He sure as hell doesn't live here so what are you really doin' here, Pop," Jane bitterly asked.

"Hey, Janie," he smiled.

"Don't start with that," she warned.

"What did I do this time," he raised his shoulders and started to stick his hands up defensively.

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe leaving Ma, or runnin' off with some air-headed bimbo after the divorce, or tryin' to force Ma to sign annulment papers," Jane removed the ice pack from her nose and kept it at her side. "Or possibly knockin' up your twenty-eight year old girlfriend and walkin' away without knowing who the father is."

"You're still on this? Janie, you've got to let it go."

"Let it go?!"

"Now, wait a minute," Maura tried to step in. "There has got to be a more civilized way to discuss this."

"Civilized went out the door when my father made our family look like white trash," Jane said as she smacked the ice pack down on the island counter in the kitchen.

Frank walked further inside as Jane had backed away to set down the ice pack.

Jane didn't like that.

"Janie-"

"You no longer have the right to call me that," she growled.

"Look, I can't change the past. Neither one of us can. So let's talk about the present and get over this nonsense."

"Nonsense? You call everything you've done in the past few months nonsense? How about the fact that I'm taking care of Avery? Is that nonsense?!"

"Who's Avery," Frank looked genuinely confused.

"The baby I got stuck taking care of while the potential fathers pretend it isn't their fault she exists," Jane raised her voice and pointed to Avery in her play pen.

Frank looked at Avery and watched her suck her fingers as she rolled onto her left side to see the argument. He paused before he spoke again.

"This obviously isn't going to be resolved in the next few minutes so I'm gonna ask that next time you see Tommy to tell him I'm lookin' for him."

"I thought you two had some secret conferences Frankie and I aren't invited to? You'll probably see him before I do so talk to him yourself."

"I wouldn't have come here if I could get in touch with him. After the whole Lydia thing, we went our separate ways."

"And now you want some sort of family reunion with him?"

"No, I was thinkin' he could work for me."

"What?!"

"I could use the extra help and I'm sure he could use the job."

"After all the shit you've gone through with the _Lydia thing _and you wanna give him a job?"

"He's still my son, Jane. Just like you're still my daughter."

"Whatever. If I see Tommy I'll pass along the information, but you're not allowed to come here anymore. Are we clear?"

Frank frowned and waited a moment as he stared at Jane. He let her words and cold stare sink in before he answered.

"We're clear."

Frank turned to leave and stopped when he locked eyes with Maura.

Maura looked sympathetically at him like she had with Tommy the night before.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you," he said directly to her.

Maura appeared on the verge of tears and nodded, almost afraid to say anything to him for Jane's sake. She followed him to the door and shut it behind him on his way out.

"That's it. I can't take this anymore," Jane walked to the play pen, flustered. "I've put this off far too long, but now...I'm gonna _make_ time to know the truth."

"Jane?"

"I'm getting a paternity test done. It's time they grow up and stop playing ignorant. One of them has to take her."

"Jane, don't-"

"Maura! This isn't your family therefore it doesn't concern you."

"No," Maura snapped as she successfully fought off tears. "Find out who the father is whenever you want, Jane, but don't talk to me like I haven't been here. Like I haven't done everything you've needed me to do _when_ you needed it _and_ without asking for it. Avery may not be your baby, but she is your family. She deserves loving parents no matter who they are. It'd be nice if at least one of them was related to her."

Jane started to understand Maura's outburst.

"None of this is her fault so stop looking at her like she's the problem when we both know she isn't."

"Maur, I'm sor-"

"I was nice enough to let you live here. I was nice enough to pay for most of Avery's things and I was nice enough to have shared as much of the responsibility of parenthood with you as I have this far. So do not talk to me like you talk to Tommy and your father. _Respect_ me or _lose_ me."

Jane looked like a deer caught in headlights for a moment. Tension clogged the artery of the silence that filled the air between them.

"You're right. I apologize," Jane slowly said as both she and Maura started to relax. "I shouldn't have talked to you like that. I've just been...really frustrated lately, but that's no excuse. Can we start over?"

Maura took a deep breath and softened the anger in her eyes until there was none.

"Please," she said.

Jane smiled and opened her arms as she walked toward Maura.

Maura started to close the distance between them as well until their bodies touched in a friendly embrace.

Jane squeezed Maura in the middle of their hug then pulled away.

"I've got to get Avery's DNA to a lab today so we can get the results back as soon as possible," Jane started. "But I'd like it if our fresh start could include a nice dinner."

"I'll order some Chinese," Maura said.

"Great. I'll be back within the hour," Jane flashed a smile at Maura before she flew out the door.

Jane got into her car, a car that screamed "I'm a cop," and stuck the key in the ignition but didn't turn it. She sat idly for a moment as she replayed a few words from her last conversation with Maura.

"_Respect me or lose me."_

"_Can we start over?"_

"_Please."_

One tiny butterfly fluttered across Jane's stomach.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading. Chapter 4 is on it's way soon. Please leave a review. :D**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sorry it took so long. Enjoy :)**_

* * *

"_Please," Maura purred as she stood in a stunning red evening gown in her usual work attire, loose fitting black dress pants, a cotton button down blouse with a white undershirt, and a formal black jacket._

"_Don't mind if I do," Jane huskily said as she approached the shorter woman._

_Maura bit her bottom lip as she smirked. Her eyes wandered from Jane's eyes down to the brunette's waist. She focused on Jane's belt buckle and her breath hitched._

"_Ha," Jane appreciatively laughed in a low, smoky one. "Imagine what you'll do when the pants come off."_

_Maura couldn't help but laugh while she blushed and attempted to avert her eyes. She couldn't resist staring at the alluring detective, though._

"_Maura," Jane continued to use her smoky voice._

_Maura had fallen victim to biting her lower lip as she slowly tried to memorize Jane's features from her toes all the way up to her long, raven-colored curls._

"_Hm," she asked as she snapped out of her Jane Rizzoli induced haze and locked eyes with the other woman. _

"_Enjoying the view is fun, but tasting and touching is satisfying. Feel free to kiss me at any time."_

_As Jane grinned, her eyes radiated decadent desire and perilous passion._

_Maura released her bottom lip as it parted from the top. She took small, deliberate steps toward Jane. He appeared hesitant, though both of them knew she wanted it._

_Maura licked her lips as she took another step closer. Jane looked her up and down as she waited for the shorter woman to take the final step that would close the gap between them._

_When there was absolutely no space between them, Jane gripped Maura's waist and forced the doctor to lean into her. Jane pressed her lips against Maura's and kissed her slowly. Her heart beat faster as she felt weightless the moment their lips made contact._

_Even as they separated they kept their eyes closed as they tried to deal with the overwhelming passion in just the one kiss._

"_Wow," Jane breathlessly spoke as she started to open her yes._

"_You should try it with tongues," Maura said as she intently stared into Jane's eyes._

_Maura hooked a hand around Jane's neck, her fingertips pressed against the base of it, as she pulled her body flat against the brunette._

_The moment their lips touched again, Jane heard a baby cry in the distance._

_Jane pulled away from Maura and frowned. Maura let go of her and appeared hurt as she worried about the other woman._

"_Do you hear that," Jane asked as she turned her back on Maura and tried to locate the origin of the noise._

"_No, but obviously there's something bothering _you_. What is it? What's wrong?"_

_The baby continued to cry._

"_Sounds like someone crying. ...A baby."_

"_Jane, you don't have a baby. Stop being ridiculous," Maura placed a hand on Jane's shoulder._

"_This doesn't make any sense," Jane furrowed her brow._

"_Jane," Maura calmly said with an alluring tone as she turned Jane around to face her._

_Jane looked less puzzled as she allowed herself to get lost in Maura's hazel eyes._

"_Kiss me again," Maura grinned._

_The baby cried louder and caused Jane to sigh out of frustration. Jane looked between Maura and their surroundings, utterly perplexed._

"_Kiss me, Jane," Maura repeated. "You know you want to."_

_Jane opened her mouth to speak, but the baby's cries turned into wails and she couldn't seem to ignore it._

Jane groaned as she scrunched up her face with disdain. She opened her eyes and rejoined reality as Avery unpleasantly belted out her feelings of discomfort.

I got up and headed to the nursery. After a good twenty minutes, Avery finally settled down and fell back asleep.

Maura hadn't met Jane in the hall or the nursery so she went to Maura's room and quietly poked her head in.

For once, the woman had manged to sleep through Avery's cries. Jane smiled as she took a moment to watch Maura sleep. She looked so peaceful, so blissfully unaware of reality.

Jane's smile slowly retreated as she closed the door, satisfied to know the reason behind Maura's absence in Avery's middle-of-the-night complaints.

Jane headed back to her room and threw herself on her bed and sighed back to sleep.

* * *

Maura walked into the police department with a straight face, the goal of getting to her office the first but not only thought on her mind. As she headed to the elevator, Angela called out from the Division One Cafe.

"Dr. Isles! Maura, wait," Angela flailed a hand to get Maura to stop.

Maura turned to face Mama Cub Rizzoli and frowned.

"What is it, Angela," Maura asked as the older woman ran out to her with a to-go box in hand.

"I made you some lunch," Angela started as she handed the box to Maura.

"Oh, Angela, you shouldn't have," Maura said as she politely accepted the food.

"Well, I know you've been helping Jane with the baby and I didn't handle the little girl the best way. I'm still waiting to hear about test results, but I shouldn't have walked out like that the other day."

"That's okay. I understand. Jane isn't having the greatest time with it either, but I think the more time you spend with Avery, the more you'll stop thinking about how she was made and start thinking about how special she is."

Angela smiled.

"And that's why you deserve this homemade meal," she nodded at Maura. "You're so sweet. Enjoy."

Maura smiled at Angela.

"Thank you."

Angela turned and made her way back behind the counter before Maura continued toward the elevator doors.

Once inside and on her way down to her office, Maura opened the box and smelled the tantalizing aroma of Angela's best dish, an authentic Italian meal Maura had only had once in her life. She closed her eyes and took in the scent as it filled the elevator. The last time she'd had that entree was with the Rizzoli family in her own dining room a few months before then.

The elevator door dinged and the doctor opened her eyes before she stepped into the hallway. Maura didn't usually like to put off work, especially when she first got on shift, but lately, with Jane and Avery in her life, she had a lot on her mind.

Instead of looking at the sheet of requested autopsies and body examinations, she opened the to-go box Angela prepared for her and took a few small bites.

A male assistant cleared his throat as he rounded the corner with a manila folder in his hands. He tapped his knuckles against the door frame and addressed Maura.

"Excuse me, Dr. Isles?"

Maura looked up from her food and made eye contact with the man.

"Oh, hello," she greeted him.

"Hi. I'm new to this shift and wanted to properly introduce myself. Wesley Anderson, toxicologist."

He smiled as he took a step into Maura's office. He had dimples on either cheek and a ruggedly handsome bone structure.

Maura quizzically looked over him until her expression proved she'd had an "ah-ha" moment.

"You used to work the night shift."

"Yes," he nodded.

"I've run into you during my hours of overtime."

"Wow. Um, yes. I'm surprised you remembered."

"Well, you do exceptional work."

"Thank you," his smile widened.

"What made you decide to switch to this shift," Maura asked as she stood up and shook Wesley's hand.

"Well, working nights for several years really made me appreciate days more. I saw a lot less light than I realized I wanted to and I knew by joining this shift, I'd be working with the best. You."

"Oh. Well, thank you," Maura smiled as a slight blush crept across her cheeks. "Um, do you have something that needs my attention, Wesley?"

Maura looked from Wesley's eyes to the folder in his hands.

"Please, call me Wes. And yes, I do actually," Wesley started and stepped further inside Maura's office.

Wesley handed her the file and Maura took it with a bit of hesitation.

"I was thinking...maybe you'd like to...go to dinner with me?"

Maura's jaw dropped and looked shocked.

Wesley nervously laughed.

"I'm sorry. That was inappropriate, wasn't it...especially since we'll be working together a lot more now."

"Uh, no. That's okay. I mean, yes, it was a little inappropriate, but...dinner sounds nice."

Wesley looked hopeful.

"Really? So...how does tomorrow night sound?"

Maura smiled.

"Great. We can meet up after work and head over to the restaurant. Where do you want to go?"

"Ladies choice," Wesley beamed."Wherever yo want."

"Okay. How about Luigi's a few blocks from here? They have some of the best Italian food in Boston."

"Perfect," Wesley continued to smile. "I'll see you around nine tomorrow. But we'll probably also see each other around throughout today and tomorrow as well."

Maura chuckled.

"That is a strong possibility. Thank you for the file."

"No problem. Just doing my job."

"Right," Maura laughed at herself.

"Thanks for agreeing to dinner," Wesley replied.

"Oh, that is definitely not an issue. I'd love the opportunity to get out and enjoy more of the city. I've been a little restricted to my house for a couple months."

"A gorgeous and smart woman like you cooped up in your place when you're not at work? I find that hard to believe, but I'll take your word for it. It's a shame really."

"I don't mind it a lot. I wouldn't complain by saying I absolutely loathe the time spent staying in and watching movies with my best friend because it would be a lie, but sometimes I wish I _could _do more."

"Then tomorrow will be your lucky night," Wesley grinned as he pointed at her.

Maura smiled wide enough to reveal her own dimples as she stared straight into Wesley's eyes.

"I'll see you soon," he coolly said before he turned and left.

"Okay," Maura softly uttered as he disappeared behind the same corner he'd appeared from.

Maura smiled to herself as she headed back to her desk and continued to eat.

* * *

Jane sat on the couch with Avery sprawled out in her lap as she watched TV. She kept one hand on Avery's calf to ensure the baby wouldn't fall as she kept a formula bottle by her side on the end table. For once, Avery didn't squirm too much or even burst into tears. She seemed content to lay with Jane in the living room. The two of them looked comfortable and friendly.

Avery sneezed and Jane immediately looked down at her. Avery smiled up at Jane when their eyes locked.

Jane couldn't help but smile back, a glimmer in her eyes as her cheeks glowed.

"Hello there," Jane sweetly said before she looked to the end table and grabbed a cloth.

She wiped Avery's nose then tossed the cloth aside to the arm rest.

"You really want to make me love you, don't you," Jane continued as she widened her smile.

Avery hummed before she turned to face the television. She stared up at the screen with wondering eyes and placed her tiny hand in front of her mouth.

Jane chuckled and shook her head before she redirected her attention to the television like Avery. For a while, the two of them silently enjoyed each others' company until Jane leaned over and grabbed the remote from the coffee table.

Avery rolled closer to Jane and threw her hands around. One hand landed a couple inches below Jane's breast and the other hit Jane's lower stomach.

"Whoa. Easy there, Muhammad Ali ," Jane said as she adjusted Avery's positioning then changed the channel.

Jane frowned at the TV and changed the channel again.

Avery protested against her new position and wriggled herself into another one. In the process, she managed to kick the remote out of Jane's hand and onto the couch cushion.

"Here we go again with the whole bend it like Beckham thing," Jane commented as she picked up the remote that lay next to her.

As Jane raised the remote to change the channel, Avery kicked once more. Jane clutched harder to hold on to the remote and ended up changing the channel anyway.

Jane sighed and looked up to see what was on then.

"The Food Network? Really," Jane whined.

Avery settled down and stared at the screen once again.

Jane looked down at her and relaxed her muscles as she sighed again and slightly rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but this doesn't mean I'm making dinner," Jane flatly spoke to an unaware infant and empty room.

Jane's phone buzzed on the coffee table and she leaned over Avery to grab it.

Jane took a quick look at the caller ID and answered.

"Hey, Maur. What's up?"

"Do you want the lab to run the paternity test?"

"Yes. Uh, how soon can I get the results?"

"You'll have to get both Tommy's and your father's DNA for comparison. After all the samples are at the lab, including Avery's, it'll take maybe an hour."

Jane bit her bottom lip.

"Okay," Jane started. "How late do you work tonight?"

"Eight."

"And it's...what, two o'clock now?"

Jane looked over her shoulder and read the digital clock on the oven. It read 1:53pm.

"I'll meet you in your office by four," Jane stated. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Jane hung up and held out Avery as she stood. She pulled Avery back in and placed her against her right hip.

"Looks like you and I have something to do today after all," Jane smiled as she headed toward the nursery. She grabbed the diaper bag, placed it on top the dresser, and opened it with one hand. She opened the top drawer, pulled out a handful of diapers, and placed them in the bag.

She made her way to the kitchen as she swung the bag over her free shoulder. She opened the fridge and took four bottles of formula. She used the counter to balance the bag and carefully placed three of the bottles inside with the diapers. She slipped the fourth into a bottle carrier on the side of the bag and zipped it up.

She left at the front door and locked it behind her, but when she turned to face the street her jaw dropped.

"Wha-"

Jane squinted and pulled out her phone. She hit the call button twice and put it to her ear.

"Jane," Maura answered with confusion.

"Where's my car," she asked as she looked around and only saw Maura's Toyota.

"I drove it to work."

"Why?"

"You said you didn't want the car seat in your car so we decided to keep it in my car, remember? I thought I'd leave my car so you wouldn't be stuck at the house all day."

"What if I needed my far for police business?"

"Jane, you've been on eave since Avery was born with the exception of the other day, which technically doesn't count."

"Fair enough, but next time could you at least warn me?"

"Why? You never warn me when you're about to take my car to a suspect's house?"

Jane rolled her eyes.

"And," Maura continued. "You were asleep when I left. I didn't want to wake you since Avery probably did that twenty minutes later. You cut me some slack and I'll reciprocate the favor."

"Wow."

"What?"

"Except for the vocabulary toward the end of that sentence, you're starting to sound more like me every day."

"Well, studies have shown that the more one affiliates with someone, the more they tend to act like that person."

"Okay, enough with the studies," Jane smiled.

"What's in it for me if I do," Maura teased with a grin, though she knew Jane couldn't see it.

"If you're lucky, dinner tonight at the house."

"Are you going to make it," Maura asked.

"Yes."

"Then that's not a reward, that's punishment."

"Hey!"

Maura chuckled.

"I've got some of Ma's recipes and Avery and I were watching the Food Network before you called."

"Really?"

"Could you sound less surprised, please?"

"No, because I don't think that's possible. You hate watching cooking more than you hate to actually cook."

Jane smirked.

"You know me too well. I think we've been living together way too long."

Maura shook her head with a smile.

"Jane Rizzoli, we could never live together too long when we were practically living together long before Avery came along."

Jane grinned from ear to ear as heat coursed from her heart to her center. She bit her lip in an attempt to keep her libido in check, though she didn't understand why it was acting up in the first place.

"Tell you what," Maura started again. "I''ll expect dinner tonight and if it isn't any good, you'll owe me a foot message."

Jane let go of her bottom lip only to purse her lips afterward.

"Deal," she said after a moment.

"See you around four, Jane," Maura continued to smile as she stood alone in her office.

"Bye," Jane smiled as well as she moved toward Maura's car.

The two hung up within seconds of each other and Jane strapped Avery into her car seat.

* * *

After a half hour drive, Jane parked on the street across from an apartment building. She took Avery and the diaper bag with her and bounded up the cement steps to the main door.

She looked at the call box and searched for a name. She stopped when she saw _Rizzoli _and pressed the button next to it.

"Who is it," an edgy male voice asked.

"It's Jane. Let me in."

The door buzzed and Jane hurried inside before she missed her opportunity to enter.

She walked up two flights of stairs with Avery on her hip and headed down the hallway on the second floor. Five doors down on Jane's left, she stopped and knocked on it.

Within several seconds, Tommy opened the door and stared at his big sister.

"What do you want," he looked at her in bewilderment.

"Your DNA," Jane sternly said as she took a step toward the apartment and stopped short in the doorway.

Tommy didn't move back far enough for her to come in as he kept one hand coiled around the door knob and the other pressed against the door frame.

"What? No."

"I'm gonna have Maura run a paternity test to find out who is _biologically _responsible for Avery."

"I'm in the system, aren't I? Use my DNA from that!"

Jane briefly closed her eyes as she tried to remain calm.

"That's not how it works, Tommy," Jane slowly started as she opened her eyes. "Only your prints are in the system. Your DNA, if we already had a sample, would be in evidence."

Tommy opened his mouth to speak, but Jane cut him off.

"But we don't. Have. A sample. Just lick a cup or something and give it to me."

Jane hoisted Avery up higher on her hip as the little one kept slipping further down Jane's front side.

"Look, if you're not gonna make this quick, can I please come inside?"

Tommy sighed and stepped away from the door, one hand still on the knob.

Jane walked in and set the diaper bag on the small kitchen table and switched Avery over to the side that used to support the bag.

Tommy closed the door behind her and the siblings locked eyes as Jane turned toward him.

"Why are you getting a test done now," Tommy asked as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Because I think you or dad need to step up. I wanted to get it done sooner, but I was in shock when Lydia gave me custody. I thought I'd get you and dad to have your cheeks swabbed and then the lab would test it against Avery's DNA, but Ma couldn't stand being around her and I had to sign papers and have Maura take back the things she bought for Lydia's baby shower, and talk to Cavanaugh about my future as a detective. It all happened so fast. Suddenly, a paternity test didn't matter.

"The only thing that mattered then was Avery's safety and her health and just taking care of her, raising her, figuring how to raise her. I was barely breathing through it all. Then Maura offered to help and she quickly became my ventilator. Things started to get easier and now, I can get done what I've been trying to do for months."

"All right, but I'm telling you...there's no way she's mine. Lydia and I hooked up once and it was months before she and dad got together."

"Are you sure about that?"

He stared at Jane and gulped, though his eyes didn't reveal worry.

"You got a sandwich bag around here somewhere," she asked and broke the silence.

Tommy cleared his throat and nodded before he wandered into the kitchen. He pulled open a drawer and pulled out a plastic bad. He turned to Jane and handed her the bag.

"Now grab a cotton swab and rub it against the inside of your cheek and I'll be out of your hair."

* * *

Jane knocked for a while as though she'd tried knocking a few times before and cleared her throat as she shifted Avery from one side to the next.

Avery had fallen asleep against Jane's shoulder and Jane needed to give her right shoulder a break.

She cradled Avery in her left arm and sighed before she knocked harder on the door.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'," a man grumbled as he trudged toward the door.

After a few seconds, Frank Rizzoli opened the door. His eyes first focused on Jane's shoes then worked their way up to meet Jane's eyes.

"Janie."

"Don't call me that" Jane tiredly said. "I need your DNA."

"What? What are you talkin' about?"

Jane didn't wait to be invited inside and pushed past her father. She dropped the diaper bag on the door beside the couch and took a seat.

"I'm getting the paternity test done. ...What are you watching," Jane calmly asked as she stared at the television.

"Jane," Frank started to plead. "You come in here demanding my DNA and now you wanna know what I'm watching?"

"Yeah, pop. I wanna know what you're watching," Jane continued to stare at the screen as she rested Avery's head against her chest.

Frank frowned and furrowed his brow. He walked over to the couch and sat down on the opposite end, away from Jane.

"Uh, a show. How It's Done," he answered as he leaned foreword and rested his elbows on his knees.

Jane slowly nodded before she took a deep breath.

"After everything you put Ma through when you left her for a twenty-eight year old. Then you gotta go and screw up again. You left Lydia pregnant and alone under the impression that your ex-wife is the greatest mother so she seeks Ma out and tries to learn from her."

"I'm sorry, Jane. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Save it," Jane shook her head. "You knew what you were doing. You're a grown man. Take responsibility for messin' up and leave it at that. If you care at all about this family, you'll give me somethin' for the test and I'll leave you alone to your dumb show. Either way I'm gonna leave here with your DNA. The difference is how I'll see you after I leave."

"Okay...all right, Jane. I know I haven't done much right in the last few months, but if she is my baby...I want to be there for her. I want to be her father."

"God," Jane rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure I want you around her if you _are_ her father."

"Oh, c'mon, Jane. A girl needs her father."

"Here's the problem. You already have a girl, pop. But where were you when your ex-fiance dropped her daughter in my lap? What kind of father abandons his children because he's tearing apart the family they came to know and love and depend on for support? For God's sake, you tried to get Ma to sign annulment papers that makes all of us look like bastard children."

Frank frowned again and turned to sit facing Jane.

"I don't even know who you are anymore, daddy. I thought you were the gentle dad that told me I was strong when I scrapped my knee but still picked me up of the ground and carried me to the sink to clean me up."

"I'm still that guy," he tried to argue as Jane's words started to sink in and sting.

Jane turned her head and locked eyes with Frank, a frown on her face as she furrowed her brow in disbelieving and somewhat subtle anger.

"Are you?"

Frank's jaw dropped in shock.

Jane didn't waste much time as she stood up and grabbed the diaper bag. She headed toward the door and stopped when she heard Frank speak up.

"Wait. Jane...wait."

Frank went to the kitchen, grabbed a plastic cup from the dishwasher and handed it to Jane.

"I haven't run the machine yet," he softly explained.

Jane looked from the cup to Frank.

"Thank you," she said after a moment and slipped out the front door, Avery still asleep.

* * *

With two DNA samples in the diaper bag, Jane made her way through BPD and headed straight for the elevators.

Cavanaugh popped out of the cafe and frowned when he saw Jane.

"Rizzoli? What are you doing here," he stopped to ask her.

"What," Jane asked as she reluctantly turned around. "Oh. I came to see Maura."

Cavanaugh furrowed his brow as he looked at Avery against Jane's chest.

"Even with a baby in your arms, why don't I believe you?"

"I promise I'm not workin' a case, sir."

"All right. I trust you...for now."

Cavanaugh walked toward the elevator as the doors binged open and Jane followed. As they stepped into separate elevators, Jane piped up.

"Enjoying my mother's cooking, Lieutenant," she smugly asked with a grin.

Cavanaugh looked across the hallway at her as the doors to both their elevators closed. His expression said, "I can't believe you went there."

Jane couldn't, and wouldn't, keep from looking pleased as she stared at Cavanaugh until the doors blocked her vision. She continued to grin the entire ride down to the morgue..

When the doors opened, Jane took a deep breath and walked with a lighter air about her. Cavanaugh's expression made the next part of her day seem less dramatic and less angering.

Jane entered Maura's office and smiled at the doctor.

"Hey, roommie," Jane greeted Maura.

"Wow. You seem awfully cheery for the paternity test."

"Not why I'm happy," Jane beamed as Avery started to squirm again and hummed.

Jane set Avery in her right arm and walked closer to Maura.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm just happy to be here. Maybe a little happier to find out who the father is."

"Uh, Jane...I don't want to ruin your good mood, but knowing who the father is doesn't mean things are going to change."

"I know, but it might. Maybe not right away, but sometime in the future. Wishful thinking."

Maura nodded.

"How's Avery," Maura asked after a moment and looked at the little girl in Jane's arms.

"She's been good today. No complaints so far. Right, Avery?"

Avery hummed a bit more and lazily wet her lips.

Maura smiled as Jane approached the table Maura stood behind with her latex gloves and microscope.

"Do you want to hold her," Jane asked as she repositioned Avery in her arms.

"Yes," Maura beamed as she pulled off her gloves, her smile from ear to ear.

Jane handed Avery to Maura, both women glowing during the exchange.

Maura walked around the table with Avery in her arms as Jane took her previous position in front of the microscope.

Jane removed the diaper bag from her shoulder and grabbed the DNA samples out of it. She set a sandwich bag with a cotton swab and a sandwich bag with a plastic cup on the table.

Maura adjusted Avery in her grasp and started to coach Jane on the test procedure.

"There's a pair of scissors in the drawer behind you. Cut the tip of the swab and place it in the little plastic container," Maura pointed with a hand she made available when she fixed her hold on Avery.

Jane followed Maura's instructions while the doctor began to bounce Avery and pace the length of the table.

Maura smiled at Avery and stuck out her index finger for Avery to grab. Avery wrapped her tiny hand around Maura's finger and squeezed. Maura lightly laughed before she looked up to check on Jane's progress.

"Good. Now swab the rim of the cup with one of the lab's swabs and do the same thing," Maura informed Jane.

"Right."

Jane followed through with her friend's instructions once again and waited for more. Nothing else came.

"This part I have to do myself," Maura said as she came around the other side of the table and handed Avery back over to Jane.

Maura put the small containers in a machine and pressed a button that started the machine's process.

"Do you want me to stay," Jane asked.

"That's not my decision to make. Although, I wouldn't mind a little distraction today," Maura smiled.

Jane smiled back.

"Then I wouldn't mind staying for a while," Jane answered in an attractively husky tone, though there was nothing purposely sexual embedded in it.

The morgue door opened and Detective Frost walked in. He frowned when he realized Jane was there with Avery.

"Jane? What are you doing here," he asked.

"Handing over DNA samples to Maura so she can run a paternity test," Jane casually explained.

"Nice."

She nodded.

Avery squirmed and started to groan. She fidgeted even as Jane tried to change Avery's position.

"Okay, okay," Jane almost relinquished all control to Avery. "Looks like somebody wants to go with Aunt Maura."

Maura walked around the counter and accepted Avery from Jane. Maura smiled as she looked down at her.

Frost furrowed his brow as he watched the entire interaction, clearly confused and caught off guard by it.

Maura started to bounce Avery again before she looked up at Jane.

"I'll feed her," Maura spoke to Jane then addressed Frost. "Unless you have something for me, Detective."

"Oh, that's fine. I was only coming to check on my victim, but..." Frost looked over at one of the bare exam tables. "I can see you haven't started any autopsies yet."

"You're right. I'll get started on the body in a few minutes," Maura nodded and shifted Avery from one side to the other.

Jane reached into the diaper bag and pulled out a jar of baby food. She handed it to Maura and searched for a spoon. She retrieved one and gave it to Maura as well.

"Thank you," Maura softly said as she accepted the spoon, the jar in her free hand.

Jane helped Maura and twisted the top off the jar for her.

Maura walked over to a counter and gently placed Avery on it. She removed her lab coat and tucked it beneath Avery's head. She took a spoonful of food and fed it to Avery.

Maura glowed, her long hair somewhat in her face as she smiled down at the little one.

Frost didn't fail to notice and neither did Jane.

Jane smiled as she watched Maura with Avery. It was a sight she saw often, but the more she watched Maura with Avery the happier it made her.

Frost seemed less confused, but he was still surprised nonetheless. He looked from Maura to Jane. When he saw her face, his confusion returned. He stared for a while and allowed his face to display the cogs turning in his mind. He didn't come to any realizations, but the more he stared the closer he got to one.

Maura finished feeding Avery and picked her back up.

"Okay. Time to go with Jane," Maura used her soothing baby voice.

Maura handed Avery back to Jane.

"There we go," Maura whispered as Jane had a good hold on Avery.

Maura backed away and went to the counter she fed Avery on. She took back her lab coat, slipped into it, and flipped her hair out of the coat's brief hold on it.

She cleared her throat as Jane's smile faded.

"You know what," Jane started. "I think I should go."

"Oh, are you sure," Maura looked sad as she turned to look at Jane.

"Yeah, you're busy here and I've got to watch more Food Network before my cooking is even a little editable," she lightly chuckled.

"Okay," Maura agreed as she laughed with Jane.

"I'll see you tonight," Jane continued to smile as she started to walk out.

"Of course."

Jane brought Avery over to Maura.

"Say goodbye to Aunt Maura," Jane lifted Avery closer to Maura.

Maura kissed Avery's forehead and smiled at Jane.

"I'll have everything done by eight," Jane stated.

"And hopefully not burnt," Maura joked.

"Good one, Maura," Jane sarcastically said with a smile still on her face. "Bye."

Jane leaned in without a second thought and kissed Maura on her cheek.

"Bye," Maura casually said as Jane pulled away like they kissed goodbye all the time.

Jane turned and headed toward the door until Frost's shocked expression made Jane rethink what she'd just done. She furrowed her brow and stopped dead in her tracks.

Maura took a slow, deep breath and looked down at her shoes for a moment as realization set in for her as well.

Frost's jaw dropped when he saw it.

Jane cleared her throat and dared to glance at Frost.

Frost met her eyes and raised his eyebrow, an almost all-knowing expression on his face.

Jane sighed and left the morgue with a frown and a confused look, completely the opposite of how she'd entered.

Frost watched Jane walk out the door then turned to Maura. He raised both eyebrows at her as though to silently ask her, "Is there something going on between you two?"

Maura seemed slightly ashamed, but more disappointed in herself than anything. She could only stand to keep eye contact with Frost for a few seconds before she looked around the room then down at her shoes once again. She appeared as sad as she had when Hope was around and still didn't know Maura was her daughter.

"Hey, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Frost spoke up.

"It's fine. There's nothing going on. Jane and I...we're just two friends raising a child together."

Frost pursed his lips if only to conceal a smile.

Maura furrowed her brow and looked back up at Frost.

"That didn't come out right. She's raising a child. I just help however I can."

"Oh, I believe you," Frost quickly said as he tried to relax her. "You don't have to explain anything to me."

"Um," Maura awkwardly started after a moment. "The examination of the body may take a while. Unless you want to stay and watch-"

"Got it. Call me when you find something," Frost backed away and left.

Maura smiled and shook her head, but it didn't last long. Within a few seconds, her smile turned into a frown and she looked deep in thought.

Jane looked the same way as she chewed on her bottom lip in the elevator. She left BPD more confused than she'd ever been as things started to come together.

Focus, Jane thought as she headed out to Maura's car. Think about dinner and the paternity test.

Jane secured Avery in her car seat once again then settled behind the wheel. She started the car and looked at Avery through the rear view mirror. Seconds later, she turned in her seat and faced Avery.

Avery stared at Jane and drooled all over right hand as she held her hand between her lips.

"Do you think I'm crazy?"

Jane looked at Avery as though she could answer. Within the minute, Jane looked away and slowly started to face forward again.

"I'm asking a baby if I'm crazy and I can't answer my own question?"

Jane backed out of the parking lot and drove off. She refused to look back and made sure to get lost in the comfort of driving and the cadence of the music that played throughout the car.

* * *

_**What do you think? Leave a review and let me know. We're getting closer to finding out who the father is! And clearly Rizzles is in the works. Are you excited? ;)**_


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